Paul Norton poked his head around the door into Principal Tucker's office. "Hey Rich, do you have a minute?"

"Sure, Paul. What's up?"

"We got a new student today, Brie Ranger. The cumulative folder hasn't arrived yet; do we know anything about her?"

Rich pulled off the glasses riding low on his nose, set them down on the cluttered desk, and leaned back in his chair until it squeaked. "Not exactly."

What did that mean? He implied they knew something, but he--what? He didn't want to say what it was? Didn't want to pass on unsubstantiated rumors? His Spidy senses hadn't failed him. There was something going on with the girl.

"I have some concerns. Can I talk to you about her?"

"Sure." Rich motioned 'come in' with two fingers.

Paul closed the door behind him and sat down in one of "hot seat" chairs opposite the principal.

"Brie showed up late today to second period with a fat lip. Do we know if there's a problem at home?"

"I'm not aware of any. She tripped on the bus this morning and hit her mouth."

That had to suck for a first day. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something more to the story. "Do we know how she tripped?"

Rich considered the question. "The accident report indicated she caught her foot under the seat. Why?"

"I got a really strange vibe from her this morning. She wouldn't look at me. When I talked to her she wouldn't make eye contact, even when I stepped into her face to try and get her attention."

"It's her first day. Maybe she's shy."

Paul shook his head slowly. "I don't think that's it. One of my other students, Jordyn Foster, caught up with her at the end of class and introduced her to a couple of the other students. She didn't seem shy then."

Richard shrugged.

"See the thing is, it makes me wonder if she's afraid of men, like maybe there's something going on we should look into. Jordyn stuck real close to her when they left. We both know about her family situation. She's a sweet kid. It looked like she was trying to protect Brie from someone or something."

Richard took a deep breath. Was he weighing the implications of divulging information he shouldn't, or that he just didn't want to?

"What are you not telling me?" Paul leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "She's in my class. If there's something I should know, I'd appreciate the heads up."

Rich cocked his head to the side and frowned, deep lines forming around his mouth and over his forehead. "Look. I can't answer those questions because I don't know. Birdy told me we had a new student. I'm not familiar with the girl; though, her family has history in Whitefish. Her grandfather and grandmother came here about to fifty years ago. Their daughter Ella attended school at PH. Ella was a good student until high school. I had just become principal when she started her senior year. She ran into some trouble. Started failing classes and stopped coming to school. She ran away from home, I think to California, and had Brie the following year.

"From what you're telling me I think you're right. There's enough we do know to indicate a follow through is in order. Her cum folder may shed some light," Rich said.

"I'd rather not wait for it. I'll call her old school and see if I can get someone to pull her file and talk to me."

"Okay. Let me know what you find out."

"Will do," he said as he walked out of the principal's room.

The school office was busy and loud with students coming in and going out, most of them wanting Birdy's attention, asking to leave notes in teachers' mailboxes, or picking up homework for friends. Paul waited until she was free to speak with her.

"Afternoon, Mrs. Hadden," he said, addressing her formally. She didn't appreciate the faculty using her first name when students were around. "I'm looking for some information on a new student. Can you tell me where I can find the files for transferring in students?"

He actually knew she kept the documents in a caddy on her desk, but he'd already had that 'discussion' with her about taking things without her knowing and he wasn't eager for a repeat conversation. He also didn't want to make it appear he was tasking her with another job.

She saw right through him. "What can I get for you?"

"I'm looking for information on Brie Ranger."

Wow. That was quite a scowl she gave him. All he asked for was a file.

"I'll get what we have; there's not much. Too soon for them to have sent the Cumulative Folder yet."

Retrieving the light manilla file, she set it down in front of Paul. "The girl's trouble," she said and walked away before he could ask why she would say such a thing.

Inside he found a birth certificate showing Brie had just turned seventeen; her immunization card; a Petition for Appointment of Temporary Guardian to Philip Ranger, her grandfather; a photocopy of his driver's license as proof of residency; and the contact info for Lowell High School in San Francisco, California.

He pulled out his cellphone and made a quick Google search of the school, then dialed the number. A woman picked up and transferred him to another line.

"Will Santos, Counselling Department," a man answered.

"Hello, Mr. Santos. My name is Paul Norton and I'm calling from the Whitefish Unified School District in Montana about one of your former students, Brie Ranger. She transferred in today and I was wondering if you could give me some information."

"I can do that. What would you like to know?"

"Uhm, do you need to pull her file?" He doubted a counselor in a school as large as Lowell knew all his students.

"No. I'm familiar with Brie. She was one of our star pupils. Excellent grades, SAT and ACT scores all high, and an outstanding member of the gymnastics' team."

So, he was wrong about the counselor knowing his students. "Do you have any information about the circumstances of her transfer?"

"Not exactly. She had a tough life. I think her mother had problems. I know the family had a social worker assigned to them. She was doing well in spite of the situation until she stopped coming to school altogether about a week ago. The office and I made several attempts to contact home, to no avail. I was about to do a house check when her grandfather came in with legal papers and filled out the transfer forms. I wish I knew what happened. She's a good kid."

"I hate to ask this question, but was there any history of abuse in the family?"

"No, I don't believe so. None of her teachers mentioned anything like that, and we've had conversations about her recently. She was a happy, well-adjusted young girl."

So what happened to change everything? "Thank you for your help, Mr. Santos. I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions."

"Not a problem. I hope things work out for her. She was on a scholarship path. I hate to see all her hard work go down the drain."

"I'll do my best to make sure that doesn't happen. Thanks," he said and hung up. Now all he had to do was figure out what in hell turned that poor girl's world upside down.

*

Brie was acutely aware of everything around her: the way the bus bumped over the rough road, the quiet chatter of students, the way the sunlight sparkled on the snow outside her window, and the smell of Josh's shampoo, or aftershave, or cologne, she wasn't sure what it was—only that it smelled heavenly.

He'd walked her to the bus stop and she'd been surprised to find it nearly empty. Josh told her the middle school students went home earlier, and many of the kids from the morning bus had football and cheerleading practice after school. A later bus would pick them up.

So, it was the two of them and only a handful of other students heading out. Brie couldn't have imagined a more perfect ending to a wonderful day. Her fears had evaporated, like rain on a sidewalk after the sun came out.

She and Josh had gotten onto the bus together. He—the cutest boy she'd ever met—sat down next to her. Happy bubbles tumbled in her stomach like circus performers. He cracked jokes and made her laugh. When he smiled his eyes twinkled, like a Disney movie. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so much.

"We have second and fifth period together. What do you think about Norton?' Josh asked.

How had she missed him in class? Oh, yeah. She sat in the front and didn't turn around.

"He seems nice." That was true. But the verdict was still out on him. She hadn't made eye contact yet.

"Yeah. Most of the kids think he's cool. Somehow he manages to make Econ interesting. You just have to shake your head at his awful jokes though. You may have noticed he's a real comic book fiend. His arms are covered in X-Men and Avenger tattoos."

Brie smiled at the Spider-Man joke Norton told that morning. It was lame, but kind of funny too.

"We have English Lit together?" She asked.

"Yup. I shouldn't have taken Mugg's class. Good luck with that. She doesn't believe in giving A's. No one is ever good enough, or smart enough, or pretty enough. Except maybe you. You're pretty enough."

Brie sucked in a breath. Had she heard right? Did he say she was pretty. She never considered herself pretty. Average at best. And she didn't have much in the way of curves or boobs. She was too thin and her muscles too well defined from years of gymnastics.

Ducking her head, she peaked at him from the side. He was smiling again and those amazing blue eyes twinkled like fairy dust.

She couldn't help but smile back. "Thanks," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"So tell me, Brie Ranger, great name by the way, what makes you tick?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. It was a loaded question. The last thing she wanted to do was examine her life right now.

"What's your favorite band?"

"Uhm, 5 Seconds of Summer? I like Shawn Mendes, too."

"'Stitches,' right?"

"Yeah, I love that song. What about you?"

"I'm a Green Day fan. You into the boy bands? But, 1D doesn't do it for you?"

Brie crinkled her nose. "I like them. I just like 5SOS better."

"Are you going to the football game Friday night?"

Brie picked up her backpack when the bus turned the corner onto her road. "I...I don't know," she said. "I didn't know there was one."

"Do you want to go?"

Her heart started to pound so hard against her chest she was afraid he would hear it. He was asking her out? On a date? She'd never been on a date before. Would her grandfather let her go?

"Uhm..."

"It's okay if you don't want to. I was just thinking—"

"No, no, no. I'd love to go! But I have to ask my grandfather." Brie stood getting ready to exit. "I'll let you know tomorrow. Okay?"

"Tope," he said.

The bus pulled over and the doors hissed open. She waved at him and he waved back, giving her one of his dazzling megawatt smiles.

*

Brie opened the door and yelled, "Pops, I'm home."

Cooper, Pops' golden retriever, came running to her. "Hey boy, how are you?" He pushed his head under her hand so she would pet him and wagged his tail so hard it thumped against the door. "Good boy, Cooper," she said.

Pops came out of the kitchen drying his hands on a towel. "Hey there, kiddo. How was your day? I have a sandwich ready for you in the kitchen. Your favorite—peanut butter and banana."

"It was amazing!" she gushed. She still felt like she was walking on cloud nine.

Pops' eyebrows went up. "That's wonderful, sweetie. Not what I was expecting you to say after our telephone call."

Following him into the kitchen, Brie sat down in a vintage gray and white Formica chair with Cooper at her feet. She shook her head. "The morning was horrible, but the rest of the day was fantastic."

"Alright, start with the morning and tell me what happened. How's your lip?" he said, gently taking her chin between his fingers and tilting her head back to look at her.

"It's fine. It doesn't hurt anymore."

"It's still a bit swollen."

She cringed inwardly, realizing what she must have looked like talking to Josh.

Pops waited for her to answer.

Reliving everything wasn't going to be easy. She took a deep breath. "On the bus this morning when it stopped and everyone was getting off, a boy pushed me from behind. I fell and cut my mouth."

"What?" Pops got up from his chair, his face turning red. "Someone pushed you?"

"Yeah. But don't worry; I'm okay."

"Did you report it?" The vein in his neck was twitching. God, she hated to see him angry. It wasn't good for his heart.

"No. I couldn't. It was my first day. If I did, I'd be labeled a snitch forever. Really, Pops, I just want to forget about it." She didn't feel it necessary to mention the boy was gargantuan and on the football team.

"Why did he do it?"

"I don't know. But...I saw something after it."

"A vision?"

"Yes. A woman lying on the floor that had been beaten up. And he was full of rage and hate. It made me sick to my stomach."

"Do you think he did that too?"

"I'm not sure. I think so. But, Pops, when Gabby and mom had visions, did the other person know we could peek into their minds?"

"Never heard them say anything like that. You know your Gabby handled it much better than your mother did. She was able to control her sight. Your mom saw too much though. She never managed to restrain the power or shake the demons in her head. She teetered on the edge until she found out you inherited the sight. Neither the street drugs nor the legal ones helped her."

"But they never mentioned it was like a two-way radio? That the other person knew you had found out their secrets?"

Pops shook his head. "I don't think so. They never said that. Why?"

"'Cause, I'm pretty sure Gary knows what I saw."

"Gary who?"

Crap. Did he keep track of high school football? Of course he did. What else was there to do in Whitefish?

"Gary Johnson," she answered.

"Brie," his voice was stern, "stay away from that kid. His family's been a blight on the community for years. His old man's a mean alcoholic. The kid's no better."

"Trust me, Pops, you don't have to tell me twice," she waved her hands. "I'm not going anywhere near him."

Brie gave him a reassuring smile. Time to change the subject. "But! After the morning, the day was great."

She knew her run-in still troubled him; his wild gray brows stayed pinched. "I met a few girls, cheerleaders, actually. One was really nice, Jordyn Foster. She invited me to sit at her table for lunch and she hung out with me most of the day." Brie wasn't sure if she imagined it, but Pops acted like he recognized Jordyn's name.

"Well that's good. I'm glad you made some friends."

"Annnnnd, I met a boy."

"A boy?" Pops looked concerned again. Cooper got up, went over to him, and bumped his nose against his leg.

"A really nice boy. Actually, I met his little sister too. She sat next to me on the bus. Sweet girl. Funny. She made me laugh. Come to think of it, so did her brother."

Pops gave her the silent treatment, letting her talk.

"Uhm, he asked me if I would go with him to the football game on Friday."

"You just got here. You don't know anything about this boy. He could be a player."

"Player? Did you just say player, Pops?" she giggled.

He didn't think it was funny though. "You don't know—I don't know anything about him."

"Please? I'm trying to fit in here and have a life with you. But there's no telling when, or if, mom will ever get out of the hospital. I know it's hard, but I'm not a little girl anymore. What if you met him?"

He laughed, "You can be sure that's the only way I'll give my permission. I want to meet him before Friday so I have a chance to think about it. And Brie, if I have the slightest doubt about him, don't be disappointed if I say 'no.'"

She got up from the chair and threw her arms around him. "Thanks Pops," she said and kissed him on his cheek.

"Do you want to see if the hospital will let your mom take a call?"

"Yes."

Pops picked up the portable phone and card from the refrigerator. He dialed the number. Brie listened as he asked the nurse if her mom was available. She knew by the look on his face and the conversation it wasn't a good time. She watched him hang up.

"Sorry, kiddo. The nurse said she's under sedation. We'll try again tomorrow."

If today hadn't turned out the way it had she would have been terribly disappointed. "Thanks for trying, anyway. I have a ton of homework. I'm going up to my room."

"Sure, sweetie." Pops leaned over and kissed her forehead. "We're in this together, kiddo."

*

Brie stretched her arms over her head, then wiped the sleep from her eyes. Pushing the covers aside, she lumbered out of bed and went to the window. This time she was disappointed when she opened the curtains and saw a good portion of snow had melted. It looked like the streets were clear. There wouldn't be any reason to take the bus this morning. She doubted any of the seniors would be on it now that they could drive their cars.

She'd gone online last night and found out that, unlike California, she qualified for a full unrestricted driver's license at 17 ½. She could also have one passenger in the car even if she still had a provisional license. If Pops allowed her to go to the game with Josh, would he drive? A shiver ran up her spine in anticipation, or fright, she wasn't sure which.

When she went down for breakfast, she would ask Pops if he wanted to drive her to school or if she should take the bus. He'd mentioned at dinner last night he'd take her if the road was clear. She made an appointment on the computer after school with the DMV, so he wouldn't have to hassle taking her every day.

Unlike yesterday, today she spent time blow-drying her hair, and even applied a little mascara to her lashes. She dug through her closet to find her best jeans and a cute blue sweater that matched her eyes. Grabbing a knit beanie, scarf, and her backpack she headed for the kitchen.

Pops sat at the table, his face drawn, rubbing his chin. Something was wrong. "What's going on?"

He turned a newspaper around and pushed it in her direction. "Be careful at school. There's been another murder. The police aren't saying it's a serial killer, but it looks like it. And he's targeting teenagers."

Her mouth fell open and she suddenly felt cold to the bone.

Across the top of the paper the headlines read: Missing Teen Found Dead.

__________

Author's note: Don't forget to read the newspaper article! It has important information about the story.
Thank you for reading, voting, and commenting. It is greatly appreciated. You're the best.
Note added August 2016: Unfortunately, I've had to place this story on hold for now. We have a new baby in the family so I am busy with our new little girl. :)